Cotton-gin.



'- No. 876.412.. PATENTBD JAN. 14, 1908.

B. THOENS.

COTTON GIN.-

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

z 0 MN o o o o o s ATM a O Q I H f a \m W No. 876,412.- PATENTED JAN; 14, 1908.

B. T-HOENS.

COTTON GIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1906.

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ig w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BURCHARD THOENS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COTTON-GIN.

seeds outside the bars may be carried there-' from, together with details of construction fully set forth hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an elevation in part section of a cotton gin embodying .my improvements, showing one form in which the same may be employed; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22, Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a section illustrating another form in which my improvements may be embodied; Fig. 4 is a view illustrating different arrangements of fixed and movable bars; and Fig. 5 a view illustrating another arrangement of the said bars.

The essential features of the apparatus embody gripping members of any suitable shape and arrangement, that may be separated so as to allow the tufts of cotton to pass between them, preferably by the action of air currents, and then brought together to grip the fibers, and a wiping member or members consisting of a blade or contact piece of any suitable character which, after the fibers are gripped by the gr pp ng members, will take hold of the remaming fibers or seed and drag the same from the grippers, which are subsequently separated to permit the fibers to pass from between them, either by the action of the air currents or brushes, or otherwise. The grippers may be moved in respect to stationary wipers, or the grippers may be held relatively stationary, and the wipers moved.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 there is a casing A the top of which is composed of alternate strips 2, 3, the strips 2 being secured to the casing, while the strips 3 are carried by spring blades 10 pendent from a reciprocating frame B, the movements of which carry the strips 3 back and forth between the strips 2, 2. Preferably the strips Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 22. 1906- Serial No. 318.206.

Patented Jan. 14:, 1908.

have rubber facings 9 and they are of such width that when a strip 3 is moved laterally into contact with one of the strips 2, the distance between the strip 3 and the other strip 2 will be less than the diameter of the cotton seeds so that the latter cannot pass between the strips.

The operation of the frame B causing the strips 3 to move back and forth between the strips 2, may be effected in any suitable way. As shown, an arm at each side of the frame carries a square bracket C with anti-friction rolls with which contacts a cam or eccentric 7 on a rotating shaft 13, but any other suitable means of reciprocating the blades may be used.

Over the faces of the bars 2, 3, when the latter occupy a relatively stationary position, as in the construction of Figs. 1 and 2, moves a wiper or wipers .1), each of which, as shown, consists of a serrated blade, the toothed edge of which travels in close proximity to the bars 2, 3. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 where there is a series of blades the same are carried by the links of chains 15 which pass beyond the casing A over suitable sprockets 16, upon shafts 17, turning in hearings on the frame F, and the casing A is supported by the said frame between the upper and lower portions of the chains, and is closed except that the air may pass between the bars or slats 2, 3 to enter the interior of the casing and to an outlet a; communicating with a fan or other exhausting apparatus, X, Fig. 1..

In the operation of the device the cotton is fed from a hopper Y and passes to the surfaces of the bars 2, 3, and is carried over the same by the blades or wiping members D, the gripping members 3 moving back and forth between the fixed members 2. As the result of this operation the fibers of the cotton adhering to the seeds will be carried between the separated members 2, 3 by the air currents and will then be gripped as these members change their position, and while the fibers are thus gripped the wiping members, by contact with the ungripped portions of the cotton and seeds, will carry the latter away from the gripped fibers, breaking the connection between the two, and on the separation of the members 2, 3 the fibers thus separated from the mass will be carried into the casing and away by the air current, and the masses of the fiber and seed outside the casing will pass onward and other fibers will be gripped and separated and carried away until each seed has so little fiber adhering thereto that there will be nothing to be ripped by the rippin members.

I It will be evident that there may be different arrangements of the gripping members.

As shown in Fig. 8, these members are arranged so that the casing is cylindrical, the members or bars 2 being secured to the heads 19 of the casing, while the bars 3 are connected with spring blades 20 secured to dislrs 21, which are caused to oscillate by the actlon of cams 22 on a shaft 23 bearing on friction rollers carried by gears 24 of the disks 21. The wipers I), in this case, are carried around the cylinder and within a perforated casing 25, the action being the same as in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In the construction shown in Fig. 4, the gripping members are annular, the movable members 3, playing back and forth between'the members 2, 2, and in Fig. 5, the. moving member tilts between the fixed. members 2, 2; but it will be seen that in any event there is no cutting of the fibers and. but little tendency to tear the same, these effects being further reduced by the facing of elastic or flexible material upon the gripping members. and it will be seen that as soon as the fibers are separated from the seed and ungripped they are carried away.

It will be seen that in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the reciprocating bars or members are connected to the moving part by means of flexible arms.

or springs whereby. in case of any cotton or seed being jammed between the bars the lat ter are prevented from crushing the same.

It will be seen that it is immaterial whether the wiping members are movable over the gripping bars, or the wiping members are stationary and the gripping bars carried below the same.

Without limiting myself to the construction and arrangement shown, I claim as my invention:

1. In a cotton gin, the combination of gripping members arranged to support the seed Without permitting it to pass between the same and means for separating and bringing them together to grip the cotton, and wiping members whereby the seeds are car'- ried from the gripping members.

2. In a cotton gin, the combination of gripping members arranged to support the seed without permitting it to pass between the same and means for separating and bringing them together to grip the cotton, wiping members whereby the seeds are carried from the gripping members, and a port and means for drawing an air current through said port to carry the fibers, when released from the gripping members.

3. A cotton gin provided with a hollow cylinder composed of a series of pairs of separable gripping members, means for separating and bringing said members together, to pinch the fibers between them and wiping members whereby the seeds are separated from the cotton gripped by the gripping members.

1. A cotton gin provided with a casing having separable gripping members with elastic facings, means for separating and bringing said members together, and wiping members whereby the'seeds are separated from the cotton gripped by the gripping members.

5. A cotton gin provided with a casing having series of pairs of separable gripping members arranged to form spaces when separated less in width than the diameter of the seeds, means for positively separating and bringing the members of each air together, and wiping members whereby the seeds are separated from the cotton gripped by the gripping members.

6. The combination in a cotton gin, of a stationary casing provided with a series of fixed bars and a series of movable bars, means for reciprocating the latter, blades and means for carrying them over the bars, and means for exhausting the air from within the casing, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination in a cotton gin, of a casing provided with a series of fixed bars and an intermediate series of movable bars, and springs connecting the said movable bars to a reciprocating frame.

8. The combination in a cotton gin, of a casing having fixed and movable bars, and means for reciprocating the latter through the medium of a yielding spring connection.

9. In a cotton gin provided with a casing having a series of fixed and movable bars, means for reciprocating the latter, and traveling chains supporting blades to carry the same over the movable bars.

10. The combination in a cotton gin, of a fixed casing, a series of fixed and movable bars at the top thereof, a reciprocating frame provided with blades connected with the movable bars, and chains supported by sprockets and supporting blades to carry the same over the faces of the bars.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BUROHARD THOYENIS. 

